A big victory today as the Genocide Intervention Network
announces that
Sudan's lobbyist to the United States has resigned after sustained pressure from Darfur Internet activists.
Thousands of members of the Genocide Intervention Network urged U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to fire Sudan's lobbyist in light of the ongoing crisis in Sudan that has been declared a genocide by both President Bush and the U.S. Congress. Pressure from GI-Net members and many other individuals and organizations in the Darfur activist community led to the lobbyist's departure.
The lesson here is clear -- governments who will not protect their own people do not deserve the privilege of doing business in the United States. Concerned Americans -- you -- will not stand for it.
Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) was a leading sponsor [
read statement] in pressing for the State Department to revoke the license of Sudan's lobbyist. Please call Rep. Wolf at
202.225.5136, and thank him for bringing this issue to everyone's attention.
"The United States might like to bestow privileges on the government of Sudan for a number of reasons," said GI-Net Director of Advocacy Sam Bell. "But as long as the government of Sudan cannot or will not protect its own people, the United States should resist the temptation."
Despite initial claims by the State Department that Sudan's lobbyist would aid in communication between the two governments, the United Nations reported last fall that civilian deaths due to attacks by the Sudanese government had nearly doubled -- a clear sign that the United States' message was not getting through.
Genocide Intervention Network
Power to Protect Campaign
Million Voices for Darfur